How effective are environmental strikes by the youths?

The power of youth in the fight against climate change comes from mass mobilization.

Self-taught climate activist Greta Thunberg started protesting in front of the Swedish Parliament in 2018, demanding immediate climate action from that country’s government. It was the lack of commitment by policymakers that fuelled Greta’s indignation. She also called for solidarity among young citizens to stand up for their future. The movement later became known as Fridays for Future, which, on March 15 2019, mobilized one of the largest environmental strikes, with 1.4 million youngsters from 123 countries.

Following this worldwide strike, more than 700 cities acknowledged the risk of climate change and made a climate emergency declaration, promising the prioritization of the looming threat. With the united pressure from concerned young citizens, it is safe to say that climate issues are seeing much greater prominence than in the past.